acta Community Theatre
WHERE
Bristol
What it’s like
A community theatre with drama workshops, a youth group and baby sensory mornings, plus a volunteer-run café for cake and simple lunches.
This isn't a big panto barn, it's a working community theatre that fills its holidays with proper hands-on drama. Over October half term, 8 to 12 year olds get two days to write and perform their own play from scratch, and in the summer holidays there's a four-day version for 8 to 16 year olds who want more time to build something. If your teenager fancies something regular rather than a one-off, the Griffin Theatre youth group meets on Monday evenings for 12 to 17 year olds.
Mondays are also baby sensory morning, with two sessions at 10am and 11am, so it's worth knowing this place does both ends of the age scale rather than just school-holiday workshops. There's a drop-in Creative Wellbeing Café most Thursdays too, which reads more like a relaxed community session than a kids' activity, but handy to know it's there.
The Creative Wellbeing Café itself is volunteer-run, doing homemade cakes and simple lunches, and there's a pay-it-forward scheme if you want to cover someone else's cup of tea. Worth knowing the café entrance has a step.
Getting in needs a bit of patience: the main entrance door is heavy and usually locked. Inside, there are five steps up to the seating area and most seats are reached via ten steps, though wheelchairs and walkers are kept on site and staff or a volunteer will fetch one, with wheelchair spaces available if you need them. Parking is tight, it's a small car park reserved for staff and disabled visitors, so most people are getting the bus 24 along North Street or walking up from Bedminster train station.
Facilities
Need to know
- Best for
- 8 to 17 year olds after workshops, plus babies on Monday mornings
- Parking
- Small car park reserved for staff and disabled visitor parking
- Food
- Creative Wellbeing Café run by volunteers offering homemade cakes, simple lunches and refreshments
- Wheelchairs
- And walkers available
- Getting there by bus or train
- Bus 24 on North Street (every 20 mins)
- The entrance door is locked, use the buzzer to get in
- Car park tarmac and gravel is uneven, factor that in with a buggy
- Wheelchairs and walkers are kept on site if you ask staff or a volunteer
- The Creative Wellbeing Café runs a pay-it-forward scheme for anyone short on cash
Plan your visit
What can kids actually do here?
There's an October half term drama club for 8 to 12 year olds who write and perform their own play in two days, a four-day summer holiday version for 8 to 16 year olds, and a Monday evening youth group for 12 to 17 year olds. Babies get their own sensory sessions on Monday mornings.
Is there anything for babies or toddlers?
Yes, baby sensory workshops run on Monday mornings, with a choice of a 10am or 11am session.
Can we park there?
The car park is small and reserved for staff and disabled visitor parking, so book ahead if you need that space. Otherwise it's the bus 24 on North Street or a walk from Bedminster train station.
Is it accessible for wheelchairs and buggies?
There's step-free access and wheelchair spaces in the theatre, and staff can fetch a wheelchair or walker if you need one. That said, there are five steps to the seating area and most seats are reached via ten steps, and the café entrance has a step too.
What's the food like?
The Creative Wellbeing Café is run by volunteers and does homemade cakes and simple lunches, with a pay-it-forward scheme if you fancy covering someone else's order.
How do we get in the building?
The main entrance door is heavy and kept locked, so you ring the buzzer and someone lets you in.
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